The personnel changes have kicked off at Orlando City SC with a confirmed high-level departure.
Luiz Muzzi spent the past seven seasons as a top executive of Orlando City SC. Yet, he started directing soccer operations just a couple of years after graduating from college in 2000.
Muzzi has recently left his Orlando City position as Senior Advisor to Ownership, Global Soccer Ventures. The decision to leave came after several weeks of conversations with ownership and management. During that time, the Lions began slumping.
Orlando City reached the playoffs for an MLS record six consecutive times. However, at the end of the 2025 regular season, they finished seventh, meaning they didn’t enter on their own terms, but had to play into post-season competition against the Chicago Fire FC.
The Fire won the Wild Card match 3-1 and ended the Lions’ season.
While that casts a bit of gloom on Muzzi’s departure, Orlando City gave him many highlights during his career. The club won its only national title, the U.S. Open Cup. But Muzzi said he most cherishes building up the Academy and Orlando City B.
He also guided Orlando City into international partnerships, including their affiliation with the Black Knight Football Club. These include AFC Bournemouth in England, FC Lorient in France, Hibernian FC in Scotland, and Auckland FC in New Zealand. The goal is to align elite talent development with operational best practices.
Muzzi had moved to the Senior Advisor role only last May after serving as General Manager and Executive Vice President, Soccer Operations. He had also worked as FC Dallas Vice President of Soccer Operations until January 2019.
His work as Senior Advisor focused on the club’s increasing soccer ventures. Of course, the club wants to increase going further in winning soccer now on the local pitch. To that end, it looks odd to begin personnel shakeups in the organization’s global arena.
However, the move signals that the organization now wants to focus more on the local pitch and slow, if not decrease, its global growth. Supporters should expect more emphasis on development – youth and adult – at home for Orlando City SC for now.